Tuesday, 29 December 2009

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. Their skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

*How far along?: 40 weeks*Total weight gain: I know what it is and it's normal/average.*How big is baby?: A pumpkin*Maternity clothes?: If I leave the house, yes, but otherwise big tshirts.*Sleep?: I can't seem to sleep past 6-7:30am, blah.*Best moment this week?: My Mommy is here!

*Movement?: Yes, the bebe is still poppin' & lockin'

*Food cravings?: Not a craving but my Mom brought me Oatmeal Creme Pies, mmm!*Labor signs?: No, but they gave me an appointment today for an induction scheduled for the 5th of January if nothing happens.

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! They continue to build a layer of fat to help control their body temperature after birth, but it's likely they already measure about 20 inches and weigh a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of their skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

*How far along?: 39 weeks

*Total weight gain: Don't know

*How big is baby?: A mini watermelon

*Maternity clothes?: If I leave the house, yes, but mostly I'm chilling in big tshirts.

*Sleep?: I can't seem to sleep past 7:30am, blah.

*Best moment this week?: Snow!

*Movement?: Yes, this kid likes to move it, move it.

*Food cravings?: I really want chocolate covered cherries for some reason, probably because I can't find any anywhere!

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Your baby has really plumped up. They weigh about 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). They have a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold their hand for the first time! Their organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If they're born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If they're born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time they're 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after they're born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life. Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, their lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blondes or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

*How far along?: 37 weeks

*Total weight gain: Don't know

*How big is baby?: Watermelon or Swiss Chard. Is it me or are those two completely different sized foods?

*Maternity clothes?: Like I'm suddenly going to slip into some D&G? Yes.

*Sleep?: Ugh, these questions are starting to annoy me.

*Best moment this week?: Having a fab shower/housewarming.

*Movement?: Yes; the bebe has ants in it's non-existent pants.

*Food cravings?: Cupcakes. I blame Deb for making amazing ones for Saturday.

*Labor signs?: No.

*Belly button in or out?: Innie.

*What I miss: Not having a sore back; I know I'm lucky to have made it this long but blah.

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. They now weigh almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. They're shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered their body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected their skin during their nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of their first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely they are in a head-down position. But if they are not, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying they try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating them from the outside of your belly.

*How far along?: 36 weeks

*Total weight gain: Don't know

*How big is baby?: A Crenshaw Melon? I had no idea they grew melons in South La; Dr Dre should write a song about the fruit empire of Crenshaw Blvd.